For me Wagner is impossible... he talks without ever stopping. One can't just talk all the time.

If we were all determined to play the first violin we should never have an ensemble. therefore, respect every musician in his proper place.

The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality.

To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist.

Talent works, genius creates.

When you play, never mind who listens to you.

For me, music is always the language which permits one to converse with the Beyond.

Play always as if in the presence of a master.

I am so fresh in soul and spirit that life gushes and bubbles around me in a thousand springs.

When you play, do not trouble yourself as to who is listening. Yet always play as though a master listened to you.

In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.

Some things must remain the same in order for the universe to flow properly. One pebble dashed out across the ocean leaves a lifetime of ripples. They call it the butterfly effect.

A lie, when believed, became the truth.

The challenge is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible.

Some of the best lessons come from a bad day and there's a few we can learn from today.

I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'

To build a theory of international relations on accidents of geography and history is dangerous.

What we give to the poor for Christ's sake, is what we carry with us when we die.

How can you not forgive someone who made you a better person?

If you'd see my schedule, you'd know I have no time to slow down.